Mysteries From the Stars
by feauxen
Summary: A meeting with a strange man in hide armor completely changes Qui-gon's life. As a result Anakin gets the mentor he deserved, though he never gets a chance to thank the man who changed everything. When a bounty hunter targets Padmé Amidala ten years later, Anakin has to figure out who, why, and how. And this mysterious "police man" following the same trail is REALLY irritating.
1. Chapter 1: Prologues and Policemen

**Chapter 1: Prologues and Policemen**

 **(I've taken a few artistic liberties, but no one except me even liked this movie, so shut up.)**

* * *

Qui-gon was more tense than usual, and Anakin couldn't figure out why. But his instructions had been clear, and so Anakin was searching for someplace he could hide out.

ZAM! A blaster bolt whizzed by, and Anakin barely got out of its way. He was trying to hide, but there just wasn't much cover in this hangar. Anakin stared out at the starfighters that were fading quickly into the distance, almost wishing he could have joined them. At least then he'd know what to do. Flying had always seemed natural to him.

"Destroyers!" someone shouted. Peeking his head out, Anakin saw some circular droids roll in and come to a halt as they unfolded into some kind of insectoid, ray-shielded menace. He looked helplessly at Qui-gon and the others as they started taking heavy fire from the destroyers. Then, his eyes caught on something that gave him an idea. He grinned.

Ducking about and trying to appear harmless, Anakin ran toward his new idea. Miraculously, he made it, and smiled as he looked up at the Naboo Starfighter. Flying had always seemed natural to him. It couldn't be that hard, could it? As he climbed into the cockpit and saw all of the unfamiliar buttons and instruments, it suddenly occurred to him that maybe this wouldn't be anything like the cruiser he'd been exploring on his way here.

"Ahh!" Someone cried out as they were hit, flying back a bit from the sheer impact. That settled it. Anakin gritted his teeth and sat down in the cockpit. _Trust your instincts,_ Qui-gon's words came back to him. Well, in a podracer, the ignition would be there, and any tricks to deal with problematic opponents would be here, so how about…he pulled on the stick that seemed about right. And the cockpit sealed over him. Whoops. An accusatory bleep caught his attention.

"R2?" Anakin asked. More bleeps responded, and Anakin noticed a translation running on a small screen. "I'm trying to help them, R2, see what you can do!" Then Anakin started pulling lever and pushing buttons, hoping that one would be the weapon controls. Eventually, he found them, but by then he was hovering in the middle of the hanger, ready to takeoff. Quickly, before he lost the shot, he blasted the two destroyers away, but then he felt a sudden jerk of acceleration as the ship's auto-pilot launched off for to battle in space.

Well, he had wanted to join them, hadn't he? Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

Cheers filled the hangar as the last starfighter saved their lives and then zoomed off to join the rest. But Padme, for she was dressed plainly again, walked up to Qui-gon.

"Where's Anakin?" she asked.

"I told him to hide. He should be around here somewhere." The Jedi Master replied.

"I could swear I saw him in that cockpit, just before it flew off." Padme said, and Qui-gon was surprised to detect a bit of worry in her tone. He stared off after the fighter, pondering the matter. He that odd…something he'd been sensing in the force begin to relax, and decided that the boy would be fine.

"Anakin is a fine pilot. I'm sure he'll be all right. And in any case, I don't think there's much we can do about it right now," he said, looking meaningfully at Captain Panaka, who was directing the remaining fighters in preparation for their advance. Padme looked at Panaka, set her jaw, and strode to the man's side, clearly trying to keep her mind off of Anakin.

Fascinating, Qui-gon thought to himself.

When they were organized, and a decoy of the Queen was ready to create a distraction when they met resistance, the group attempted to start into the palace proper through an enormous set of thick, grey doors. As the doors opened, however, they heard something unexpected.

"-are under arrest by the order of…well, we'll get to that later." A figure in some sort of hide-like armor was standing over another in dark robes. Qui-gon stiffened as he recognized the one on the ground as the zabrak from Tatooine who had attacked him so viciously. He felt Obi-wan tense at his side, but laid a hand on his padawan's shoulder, holding the younger man back.

The figure in the hide armor, a male human, turned to face them. "Well now, this is interesting," he said. "Several of the royal guard, some armed…handmaidens I think, and…oh boy. Two Jedi. Great. This is just what I-" and then the figure on the ground kicked the man's legs out from under him, knocking him down with a quiet, "oof" and a bright flash of light. There was a grunt, and then the man rolled away from the robed figure just in time to avoid getting stabbed through with a suddenly-present red lightsaber. Turning his roll into a crouch, the man shot several beams of light from some sort of thin device that had materialized in his hand. All of the beams struck the unmoving body on the ground with no discernable effect for several long moments. Then, the hand holding the lightsaber slowly released its grip and fell to the floor, the suddenly inactive weapon dropping gently to the ground beside the limp appendage.

Slowly and carefully, the man in hide armor stood up, the device in his hand still trained intently on his opponent.

"What. The bloody. Hell."

It took Qui-gon several seconds to gather his thoughts and respond. "I believe I could ask the same question, Mister…?"

The man in hide paused. Then he shot one last beam into the body on the ground, this one a sickly green. Nothing happened. Nodding slightly, the man turned to face Qui-gon, a decidedly odd expression on his face.

"Oh, buggering hell. I did not need this. You…ugh." Seeming to lose his patience, the man waved his hand at the downed zabrak's lightsaber, which flew to his hand and disappeared into the hide armor somewhere. Qui-gon started at the use of the Force, almost instinctively stepping into a defensive stance and dropping his outer robes to prepare for intense, acrobatic combat.

"Who are you?" the Jedi Master demanded, suddenly suspicious. Beside him, Qui-gon heard Obi-wan prepare for battle.

The man in hide armor stared deep into Qui-gon's eyes before he answered, "Mate…that is _way_ outside of your jurisdiction. Even if you are some kind of Jedi." Then, before Qui-gon could react, the man crouched again, but this time he disappeared, taking the body with him. Feeling a buildup in the Force behind him, Qui-gon turned around, only to find a most baffling sight. At the other end of the hangar, just inside the doors; the man stood with the body of the zabrak over his shoulder. He seemed to be…searching for something. Then, whatever it was, the man found it just as the buildup of energy reached its peak.

 _"ASTRAL…IMITERRAE!"_

With an incredible shout and a shocking blast of energy, the man arced like lightning off into the sky. On the ground where he had been standing a faintly smoking crater lingered, the only trace of his existence.

Suddenly, a sort of aftershock hit the group of returning handmaidens and royals, knocking some of them down. Qui-gon, momentarily forgetting everything else, ran to the end of the hangar to see what had caused such a disturbance. All he found was the scorch mark on the floor and a faint energy that was already fading. Then, his padawan caught up.

"Master, look!" he cried, and Qui-gon looked back at Obi-wan, bewildered. The boy was pointing up into the sky, at a distant explosion. "They must have taken out that Lucrehulk they had in orbit. The droids should be fried; now we just have to capture the Viceroy before he gets away!"

Qui-gon took one last look at the far-off bloom that marked their victory. Something wasn't right with that, but Obi-wan had a point. Turning, they made their way back to the queen and her escort. When they arrived she confronted them quite curtly.

"Master Jedi, what just happened?"

Qui-gon paused for a moment as he considered what to say. "Your highness, I'm afraid I don't quite know. In any case, I believe that the droid control ship has just been destroyed. We should press our advantage while we can."

Padme took this in, then nodded. As she walked to the front of the group she rearranged her face, attempting to come up with a poignant battle cry when she turned to face them all she had was, "People of Naboo, attack!"

Distantly, as the people on the ground retook their palace, seventeen Naboo starfighters were making their way back to the planet. The mood was boisterous as they celebrated their recent victory. A lucky shot, they would say later. It was only the youngest among them who had noticed anything else about it. But he was too busy celebrating right then to do anything other than whoop with joy.

* * *

 **A/N: So, this is the end result of a story I promised quite some time ago. The idea I had was a very, very messy Star Wars crossover than never got off the ground. Then this idea came to me, and now it's getting some love. Enjoy!**

 **~f**


	2. Chapter 2: Master and Padawan

**Chapter 2: Padawan and Master**

 **I'm still taking all of the piss out of canon that I can. I've been reliably informed that George Lucas's version of events sucks, you see. Maybe I can do better?**

* * *

Anakin was tense. He didn't want to be, but he was. Even as he tried to calm himself, he felt his muscles stiffen and freeze with anticipation.

"Relax, young one." That was Qui-gon. He meant well, but he just didn't seem to _understand._

"I'm trying, Master, but I just…can't!" Even as Anakin said this, the turbolift drew ever nearer to their destination. Nearer to Padmé.

"Anakin, if you can't relax, perhaps I should ask for reassignment," Qui-gon teased, his long hair flowing over his shoulders as the Jedi Master turned his head to look at Anakin.

"No!" Anakin cried, "Don't do that!"

But Qui-gon was smiling, "I may have to, Anakin. After all, we're here to guard Senator Amidala. Not to indulge your…fantasies."

"But, Sir-Qui-gon-sir, you know as well as I do that we got this assignment because of how well we know Padmé!" Anakin whined in an exaggerated voice. Qui-gon liked to tease him, but Anakin could hold his own in a battle of wits. Most of the time.

"I'm sure I don't need to remind you, my young padawan, that 'guarding' and 'dating' are two entirely separate activities."

Anakin gave his master a dirty look. "Even the younglings know _that_ , Master."

Qui-gon smiled. "So they do, my boy. So they do."

The lift began to slow. Anakin felt the tension begin to mount once more.

"Breathe, Anakin," Qui-gon instructed, "You'll be fine." Then, the doors opened and the two Jedi stepped into the sitting room. There were a few familiar faces waiting for them. For better or for worse, Padmé wasn't among them.

"Ah, you've arrived. Good." Captain Typho greeted them. The one-eyed head of security did a good job protecting his charge, but he was still happy for the added security two Jedi would provide.

"It's a pleasure to be here," Qui-gon replied easily.

And then…Padmé walked in.

Anakin's breath caught, and a smile tugged on his lips. Then, a subtle elbow from Qui-gon brought him back to the situation at hand.

"Senator Amidala," Qui-gon said, "It's a pleasure to see you again."

An amused smile flitted to her lips. "And you as well, Master Jedi. I wonder, is your padawan doing well? I can't help but notice that he looks a bit…breathless."

Sithspit. She'd noticed how nervous he was. Hastily composing himself, Anakin tried to forumlate a greeting, "It's quite lovely to see you again, Highness."

That smile didn't go away. _Damn_ that smile. Anakin just wanted to tunnel through the floor and run away. He'd spend the whole morning anticipating this moment, and it was going _terribly._ Qui-gon said something else that he missed, and then everyone began to move to the seating area. Ducking his head slightly in shame, Anakin followed his master and tried to pretend he wasn't there. Then, the discussion caught his attention.

"…latest attack only highlights the problem; someone clearly wants her dead!"

Someone wanted to kill Padmé?

"If it hadn't been for Cordé…" Padmé's voice broke with emotion, "if it hadn't been for her and so many others, I wouldn't be here right now, having this conversation."

What!? "Why would someone want you dead?" Anakin burst out, only belatedly realizing that he'd drawn everyone's attention.

Padmé, however, just smiled at him. "I came here to vote against legislation that would allow the Republic to build an army. Any number of people might want me dead for that, though I'm surprised any among them had the nerve to actually try something."

"You shouldn't be," Typho interjected, "you represent a growing minority in the senate, and I'm not sure you can even trust all of your allies. A great many people want you dead, milady."

"But why would someone in the senate attack you?" Anakin asked.

One of the advisors, an old man with a pointy beard, spoke up. "Surely you haven't forgotten the Trade Federation's invasion ten years ago. You were there that day, after all. The Trade Federation doesn't give up a grudge lightly."

Flummoxed, Anakin let the conversation wash past him once more. This didn't make any sense. Why would the Trade Federation attack someone who was _against_ building up an army? Another elbow from Qui-gon interrupted his thoughts.

"I think that my padawan and I should stand guard through the nights," his master was saying, "We can meditate and rest during the day, when attacks are less likely, and be fully rested during the night."

"I will not have anyone peeping in my bedchambers," Padmé replied with some heat, glancing briefly Anakin's way. Anakin failed to completely suppress his blush.

"Of course not, milady," Qui-gon appeased her; "We would remain outside of your personal chamber. I would advise you to post a droid inside, however, to alert us if anything should manage to slip in."

As Padmé considered that, Anakin saw the heated expression on her face fade, replaced by a politician's politely blank expression. Suddenly he reminded that this was Senator Amidala right now, not the pretty girl he'd met on Tatooine all those years ago. It was a sobering realization, but it did help distract him from the unending attraction he felt toward her. When she spoke, now that he was looking for it, Anakin heard the formality and distance in her tone.

"That is acceptable. I will provide the droid, however. I'm sure you remember R2-D2; he's proven quite reliable. There are few things in the galaxy I trust more, and one of them is democracy. Speaking of which…"

From there, the conversation was a lot of mindless, boring politics. Anakin didn't understand how Qui-gon could bear to participate in this stuff. He was a man of action, and sometimes politics just felt like they stood in the way of everything that was good in the galaxy.

* * *

Several hours later, Senator Amidala had retired to her chambers to sleep. Now that the stuffy politics were over, Anakin felt like he could breathe again. In…out…in…out, just as Qui-gon had taught him. Honestly, it was amazing how relaxing something as simple as _breathing_ could be. And despite all his training, Anakin _still_ needed to relax, because Padmé, or Senator Amidala, or whoever she was to him right now, was sleeping less than 20 feet away!

In…out. In…out. Calming thoughts. There, that was better.

"I see you've finally managed to center yourself."

Anakin started. Then he turned to face his master. "I _had_ managed it, until you decided to butt in!"

But Qui-gon was smiling. "If someone as unassuming as myself can startle you, I suddenly find it doubtful that you managed to center yourself at all."

Anakin smirked. "Unassuming? You? I may have believed that ten years ago, but even that was before I saw your lightsaber. You're anything but unassuming, Master."

"Nevertheless, my young padawan, a Jedi seeks to always remain centered, especially when they are surprised. It is perhaps understandable that you are having some difficulty at the moment, but that only means that you need to apply yourself all the more."

Anakin sighed. "I'm trying, Master. It's just difficult to focus on anything else when I'm around…Senator Amidala."

"Ah, so she's a senator now?" Mischief flashed in Qui-gon's eyes.

"Yes, Master, she is. And that really helps, actually, because it gives me something to focus on other than my…"

"Libido?" Qui-gon's eyes danced with unheard laughter.

"You aren't making this any easier, Master!"

Qui-gon openly chuckled at that. "Anakin, my job as your teacher is not to make your life easier. It is to ensure that, should your life grow impossibly difficult, you are equipped to face that difficulty. If all I did was-" Qui-gon abruptly stopped speaking, his head turning abruptly toward the Senator's chambers. Anakin sensed the same darkness, the same readiness to kill, and a moment later the two of them were rushing together to Padmé's side, hoping they weren't too late.

Qui-gon was first through the door, his hand outstretched as he used the Force to pull the assailants from Padmé's bed. A snap-hiss and two green flashes later, Qui-gon had sliced the two…worms? in half, and was rushing to check on Padmé.

A noise at the window drew Anakin's attention, and before he completely understood what he was doing, the Force urged him to jump after it. Following this urge straight through the pane of thin transparisteel, Anakin's hands found purchase on a small, flying droid just as it began to make its escape. Idly, he noted that the window he'd just shattered was falling down a drop of several hundred stories. Suddenly, the tenuous grip he'd established became of the utmost importance to him.

As the droid flew, it made a several sharp turns in an attempt to throw him off, but he held on for dear life. Not even a Jedi could survive a fall from this height. Attempting to center himself despite his panic, Anakin reached out through the Force to Qui-gon, hoping that his Master would be able to help, to track him down.

Speeders rushed by, lights blurred as his focus on what he was seeing became less important than maintaining the grip on the tiny little droid. Why had he even gotten into this situation in the first place? Something about Padmé…it was definitely about Padmé. Centering himself on that thought, Anakin felt the Force flow into him, strengthening his grip and focusing his mind. Padmé…this droid had tried to kill her! If it hadn't been the only thing keeping him alive right now, Anakin would have probably ripped the stupid thing to shreds. But he couldn't do that right now, or he'd-ZAM!

The droid exploded in his hands, ripped apart by a blaster bolt.

Anakin was falling.

The Force fell with him, gently calming his thoughts.

There was a speeder below him, attempting to meet his fall.

Anakin reached out his hand, his mind, and focused on the speeder. He felt Qui-gon's comforting presence, and together they steadied the speeder. Anakin pivoted his body, and then…THUD.

"Go, master, after that shooter!" Anakin had landed directly in the passenger seat. Nothing would slow their pursuit of this assassin. Not for the barest instant.

As they sped toward the area the shot had come from, a green speeder shot away, fleeing their pursuit. Anakin could feel the turmoil of its occupant as Qui-gon gave chase. He stretched out his feelings, trying to divine more, perhaps even to slow the speeder down. Unbeknownst to him, his hand stretched out as well.

Then, suddenly, the speeder took a sharp turn, and the connection was broken.

"Well done, my padawan. To reach out to your opponent in the heat of battle takes the mind of a true warrior." Qui-gon's ever-calm voice somehow cut through the sounds of the city around them.

"She's…afraid." Anakin replied, "Afraid of us, but…I don't think that's all."

"Is she now?" Qui-gon said, maneuvering their speeder ever-closer to the object of their chase, "How interesting." They appeared to be catching up. Qui-gon had chosen his ride well. Then, the speeder in front of them went into a sudden dive. Qui-gon easily followed in a dive of his own. As they pulled out of the dive, the assassin flew dangerously close to a power generator's arcing waste energy. Qui-gon, if anything, flew closer, dancing in and out of the purple lightning. But when they cleared the generator, their quarry had disappeared.

Anakin looked around frantically, catching a hint of green. "There!" he shouted, pointing after it.

Qui-gon ignored him, turning the speeder tightly in a completely different direction, through a small tunnel. "Anakin, my boy, I taught you better than that. Reach out with your _feelings._ Your eyes deceive you."

Chastised, Anakin ducked his head. Then, his head snapped right back up. They were close. Closer, even, than they'd been before they lost sight of the assassin's speeder.

"That's right, my boy. Our assassin thinks they've chosen the shortest path, but I would beg to differ. Trust in the Force, and it will guide you well." Their speeder shot out of the tunnel and, as if to illustrate the point, they were only a few speeder-lengths behind the green craft they'd been chasing. Anakin felt a surge of panic from within.

Then, separately, the Force screamed of danger. Anakin barely managed to stand without falling as he brought up his blue lightsaber to defend against the sudden onslaught of blaster fire coming from the assassin's speeder. Fortunately, the incoming fire was poorly aimed, likely from a handheld blaster. The assassin was getting desperate.

"Try to redirect it into the engines," Qui-gon said.

Anakin batted aside another poorly-aimed bolt with a grimace. "Easier said than done, Master, this assassin has terrible aim."

Then, as if to spite him personally, a blaster bolt zoomed straight toward Anakin's heart. Unfortunately for the assassin, this was precisely what he'd been waiting for, and he angled his lightsaber _just right,_ deflecting the bolt right into one of the fleeing speeder's rear thrusters. The craft slowed noticeably. Qui-gon guided their craft down slightly as they caught up, and suddenly Anakin knew what he had in mind. Just as they passed beneath the green speeder, Anakin swung his lightsaber in a tight arc over his head; smoothly cutting through the speeder's other thruster in a single motion.

Suddenly, the craft was dead in the air, and it began to coast to a stop on its repulsor coils. Qui-gon gently guided their speeder back around, alongside the driver's side of the assassin's own speeder. Through the window of the sealed cockpit, Anakin could see a panicky human female. When the woman noticed the two Jedi, her panic grew tangible in the Force. A blaster bolt zoomed toward their craft, but Anakin threw himself into the Force, leaping through the bolt's path and deflecting it, landing neatly on the cockpit of the assassin's speeder. In a single stroke of his lightsaber, he cut through the window of the cockpit and the blaster in the woman's hand, deftly avoiding her fingers.

"Surrender peacefully, and you will not be harmed," Anakin stated firmly, using the Force to strengthen his voice so that he would be heard. The woman inside nodded a bit shakily, and Anakin jumped back onto Qui-gon's speeder, this time landing on the area behind the seats, keeping ready to defend against any trickery.

The cover over the cockpit rose, and the assassin was fully revealed to the two Jedi. "You are under arrest, in the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic. Maintain your peace, and you will be given legal counsel. What is your name, citizen?" Anakin recited the code of arrest as he had so many times before.

The assassin ducked her head. "Zam Wesell."

"Zam Wesell, do you surrender peacefully?"

"I do."

Anakin nodded. "Please step into our speeder. Yours will be collected and impounded, and you will be able to retrieve it at a later date."

Zam's face fell, but she stood and crawled onto the speeder next to Anakin, apparently unwilling to stand while the ground was so far away.

"Take the middle seat," Anakin instructed her, and Zam did. Finally deactivating his lightsaber, Anakin sat back in the passenger seat. It was a bit cramped now, but manageable. Once they were all seated, Qui-gon gently maneuvered them away from Zam's damaged speeder and into the speeder traffic all around them. Anakin sensed no hostile intent from Zam now, only fear. Taking some small comfort from this, he began to question her.

"Why are you trying to kill…Senator Amidala?" he nearly called her 'Padmé', but managed to refrain.

"I was hired."

"Who hired you?" Anakin pressed.

At that exact moment, a small figure flew in front of the speeder on a rocket pack of some sort. Confused, Anakin nearly missed the _zip_ as a dart flew straight into the assassin next to him. Before any of them could react, the figure rocketed off into a window, shattering the transparisteel and disappearing inside the building. For a fraction of a second, Anakin hesitated, but then his master shouted, "GO!" and he leapt after the figure, right through the hole it had made.

Landing with a roll and coming up on his feet, Anakin surveyed the room he'd just jumped into. Then, with widening eyes, he spotted the beeping thermal detonator on the floor. As quickly as possible, he turned and jumped back out of the window, back to the speeder. Behind him as he leapt, an explosion rocked the air.

Then, he landed on the back of the speeder, nearly rolling right off the other side. Fortunately, he caught himself, and stood, noticing Qui-gon still bent over the assassin. Or…the _thing_ that had taken the assassin's place.

"What is _that?"_

"Our assassin was a changeling, so it seems." Qui-gon replied, looking up. "And quite dead now, I'm afraid."

"Oh." Anakin grimaced. That meant they didn't have _any_ leads.

"It was a toxic dart that killed her. Whoever it was likely knew that they couldn't target us safely, but they couldn't afford to leave her in our hands. They appear to have taken the easiest course of action to keep her from talking." Qui-gon sounded disgusted.

"They're good, too," Anakin said, "I barely got in there before the thermal detonator went off."

"Hmmm…" Qui-gon mused. Anakin could feel his master's mind racing as they sat and began to speed off. "I think we may be dealing with a Jedi hunter."

"A Jedi…hunter?" Anakin asked incredulously.

"They're more common than you might imagine." Qui-gon said, "As peacekeepers, we have a habit of irritating a large number of beings who retaliate…aggressively. What worries me most is that this particular being is well-equipped, successfully bested two well-trained Jedi, and appears to be in the assassination business. Most supposed 'Jedi hunters' are just bounty hunters with an overdeveloped ego."

Fear began to worm its way into Anakin's mind. "Do you think Padmé is safe? We should get back to her, now. What if this…Jedi hunter is already on his way?"

Qui-gon placed a calming hand on Anakin's arm. "Relax, Anakin. You're letting your emotions control you when you should instead be letting them _guide_ you."

Anakin felt calming thoughts flow into his mind, and he allowed them to wash away the fear he'd been allowing to overtake him. "Thank you, Master. But I don't understand why you aren't worried about…Senator Amidala."

Qui-gon placed his hand back on the steering column. "We're returning to her side as swiftly as we can, Anakin. If you were paying attention, you would have noticed that I just broke approximately 15 traffic regulations, and we're nearly back to the Senator's quarters."

"…oh." Anakin ducked his head, chastised.

Qui-gon chuckled. "Loosen up, my boy. If you didn't get distracted by a pretty face every once in a while, I'd be worried about you. It's a sign that you're still connected to the world around you, and a Jedi must _always_ be mindful of the world around them."

"But, Master, I thought a Jedi needs to always be mindful of the Force." Anakin had never heard a master of the Jedi order actually _encourage_ romantic feelings in another Jedi before. Even Qui-gon wouldn't stop teasing Anakin for his feelings about Padmé, which was the rather laid-back Jedi master's way of discouraging "uncouth" behavior.

Qui-gon chuckled as he brought the speeder in to a landing platform. Looking around, Anakin belatedly noticed that they were back to the building they'd started from, only a few levels above Padmé's quarters.

"Anakin," Qui-gon began as he stepped out of the speeder, "the Force is indeed a powerful ally. But so is a good blaster, and you wouldn't use a blaster to cook a meal, would you now? Yes, you may be able to hunt with a blaster, and that would give you meat to cook. But no matter what you try, a blaster will never cook a meal as well as a good old-fashioned fire. The Force is the similar. It is excellent for some purposes, but not nearly everything. That is why you must learn to see the world around you _and_ feel the will of the Force, both at the same time. When you can do that, you will truly be a master." Qui-gon smiled and clapped Anakin on the shoulder. "Ponder that while you go tell Senator Amidala what happened. I have a few calls to make." He looked meaningfully at the assassin's body, which was still sitting in the speeder.

"Yes Master," Anakin said, before heading for the turbolifts. Qui-gon didn't usually get so philosophical about things like that, but when he did it meant that the lesson was incredibly important. Unfortunately, Anakin thought as the turbolift began downwards, it also meant that he'd need a week at least to puzzle through the meaning behind Qui-gon's words. What exactly _wasn't_ the Force good for? It sharpened a Jedi's mind and body, and allowed them to perform feats no one else could. What possible failing could the Forceitself have?

The turbolift arrived at its destination, and Anakin put the matter aside as he greeted Captain Typho. There would be time to figure all of that out later.

"Did you catch them?"

Anakin started. "Padmé? Ar-are you alright?" He mentally cursed himself as he noticed that Padmé had just entered the room.

"I'm fine, Anakin, thanks to you and Master Qui-gon." She smiled kindly.

Anakin felt heat rush to his face, and ducked his head. "That's good to hear," he muttered. Then, remembering himself, he said, "We caught one of the assassins, but there was another who got away." As he looked up, and saw that Pad-Senator Amidala wasn't smiling anymore.

"What happened, exactly?" she asked in a no-nonsense tone. Anakin quickly told her the whole story, from the moment he jumped out the window until the second assassin nearly blew him up.

"After that, Qui-gon realized that you might still be in danger, and we came back here as fast as we could. Did anything happen while we were gone?" Anakin directed the last question more at Captain Typho, who would have been coordinating the non-Jedi guards.

"It's been quiet here, thankfully," the man said, "I was just waiting for you to get back before clearing the Senator to sleep. She'll need her rest for the vote tomorrow."

Anakin was about to reply when Qui-gon walked in. "I see everything is still well here?" Captain Typho and Senator Amidala nodded. "Good. If you don't mind, I need a quick word with my padawan."

Typho nodded, and then began escorting the Senator to her quarters. Anakin felt a hint of jealousy rise up in him, but ruthlessly quashed it. Now wasn't the time for such thoughts. He turned to face his master and saw his master looking at him with approval.

"Well done, Anakin," Qui-gon said. "I didn't get a chance to say this earlier, but you performed quite admirably out there."

"Thank you, Master."

Qui-gon then looked into Anakin's eyes, searching for something that only a Jedi Master would understand. Then, Qui-gon nodded with…approval? "You've grown, Anakin. When we met you were just a boy, no matter how clever you could be at times. Now, you're nearly a man, and I think that it may be time for the final step in that journey."

What! Anakin could hardly believe his ears. Was Qui-gon suggesting that he was ready for the trials? Sure, he'd done okay, but without his master there to help, he would probably have died!

His doubt must have shown, because Qui-gon's next words were encouraging, "Anakin, the Force has spoken to me, and I agree with its counsel. You are ready. You were quick and bold enough to jump after the assassin's droid, strong enough to keep hold of it, and then both clever and talented enough to peacefully arrest the assassin who had just tried to kill someone close to your heart. You may have much to learn, but there are some lessons that you must learn for yourself, lessons I cannot teach you. So, with the council's pending approval, I hereby assign you the task of tracking down this rocket-pack assassin."

"What!" Anakin exploded, "But you said that they were trained to hunt and kill Jedi! Why would you send me after him, alone?"

Qui-gon didn't even bat an eye at his sudden outburst. "Anakin, your journey will be difficult. But as I was saying earlier, it is not my job to make your life easier. My job is to ensure that you are strong and clever enough to survive what the universe throws at you. I would not send you on this trial if I felt that you wouldn't survive. No, I sense that this trial will strengthen you greatly. Trust in the Force, Anakin. It will guide you where you need to go, and keep you safe along the way."

Anakin wasn't sure what to say. On one hand, this was the day that every padawan dreamed of. On the other hand, he was being sent on an incredibly dangerous mission and for the first time in his life, he wouldn't have his master's comforting presence backing him up. Was he really ready for this? Qui-gon was waiting patiently for an answer. As Anakin looked searchingly at the man, he remembered the advice Qui-gon had offered him for as long as they'd known each other; _trust your instincts._ Anakin closed his eyes and just…relaxed. It was difficult, but he tried to let go of distractions, to seek the feeling he got from flight, when everything just clicked and there was no distraction, just flight controls and what to do with them.

Padmé, assassins, an explosion. Images flowed through Anakin's mind, but he blocked them out like Qui-gon had taught him. The Force is a Jedi's greatest ally, as the masters were fond of saying. _Trust your instincts._ But what did his instincts say?

Anakin opened his eyes and saw a knowing look on Qui-gon's face, but the man said nothing. "I think..." Anakin began before faltering and starting again. "I think I should go," he said, more confidently this time, "I think that I _will_ go, Master."

Qui-gon smiled. "Good. You are a talented young man, Anakin. Just don't get your head lost in the clouds and you'll be fine."

* * *

Anakin looked at the slum housing block with a grimace. Well, at least he wasn't getting his head lost in the clouds. And he did need some help finding a lead on the only thing the rocket-pack assassin had left behind, the poison dart. There was no better place to start than here. He walked up to a particular door and knocked four times. Then he waited.

"Go away, you slimy scumball!" came a shout from inside.

"Come on, Huuda," Anakin shouted back, "Is that any way to greet an old friend?" A light flapping noise came from within, and then the door slid open to reveal a blue toydarian, flapping its stubby wings just like all the members of its species did to stay aloft.

"Anakin Skywalker. Now there's a name I never thought I'd have to worry about again," the blue creature said.

"Oh come on Huuda, you know you like me," Anakin replied playfully.

"Hmmmmm…maybe I did once, kid, but you're not so much of a kid anymore, are ya? You're a fully grown Jedi now, and I made sure we were nice and square long before you got to that point. So what could bring a so-called 'keeper of the peace' back to my door, eh?"

Anakin sighed. "I'm not some local cop, Huuda. I'm here to ask a favor of you, actually. I'm on the trail of an off-worlder, a guy with fancy armor and a rocket-pack." Anakin didn't exactly know that the assassin was from off-world, but the chances that an assassin like that actually lived on Coruscant were slim. And if Huuda thought that a criminal wasn't from his neighborhood, honor among thieves was out, especially when it could make the curious Jedi go away.

"Doesn't sound familiar to me, kid. Why'd you come here?"

"Well, that would have been a longshot anyway. I was actually wondering if you could help me track down the maker of something he left behind." Anakin pulled out the dart that had killed Zam Wesell.

Huuda looked over the dart, inspecting it closely. "I deal in scrap, Anakin, you know that. Why would I know anything about some kind of dart weapon salesman?"

"I wasn't expecting you to, Huuda. Now what would it cost me for a pointer in the direction of someone who might know?"

The toydarian thought that over for a minute. As the silence drew on, Anakin decided to give him something more to chew on. "Come on Huuda, you paid me back but I _did_ save your life once. I don't want to get in your hair, I just want to know who around here might know what I'm looking for. I don't even want to give _them_ trouble. I know how things work around here."

Huuda stared at Anakin speculatively. Then he gave in. "All right, all right. Look for Dex's diner, and ask to talk to Dex himself. If anyone knows what that dart is, it'll be him."

Anakin raised his eyebrows at that. Free information? Well, Huuda did know how to contact him if he ever wanted to call in a debt. "Thanks, Huuda. I'll get out of your hair now." He turned to leave.

"Oh, and Anakin?"

Well, maybe it wasn't so free then. "Yes, Huuda?" Anakin asked as he turned around.

"I ain't gonna ask much for that, everyone around here knows Dex's place. But if you see any of them scrap thieves around, give 'em a good scare, would ya?"

Anakin smiled. As he himself was a mechanic and Huuda was a scrap dealer, neither one much liked the type that stole spare parts. "I'll do that, Huuda." Then, with a wave goodbye, Anakin left the slum to look for this Diner place.

* * *

Well, that was informative, Anakin thought as he took a turbolift back to the Jedi Temple from Dex's Diner. This Dex guy was a friend of Obi-wan's, and while Anakin wasn't terribly well-acquainted with Qui-gon's former apprentice, he did know the man well enough. That had been enough to get Dex talking in quite a bit of detail about a planet called "Kamino," and the locals there who apparently ran a lucrative cloning operation. And, because everyone needed a way to defend themselves, they also happened to make poisonous "saber darts," one of which had found its way into a certain assassin.

All told, it was enough to go on.

When Anakin got to the Temple, he went straight to the fighter bay and took out Qui-gon's fighter. His master wouldn't be needing it, as he'd returned with the Senator's delegation to Naboo immediately after the vote in an attempt to keep her safe.

As the young padawan took off, a cloaked figure watched him go with no small amount of ire. This was _not_ good.

 **A/N: I don't exactly have a schedule planned out for this story, but chapters should get** _ **too**_ **far apart. If they ever do, just send me an angry PM and I'll tell you what's holding up the latest chapter. This one, for example, was all planned out and fine, until I realized that I'd need to establish a way for Anakin to track down the Kaminoan dart without Obi-wan's help, and then I decided that I might be able to make a full scene out of that.**

 **Also, I had to give Anakin a personality, since I forgot to do that, and canon Anakin is little more than an angsty ball of hormones.**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **~feauxen**


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